PHILADELPHIA — After 179 days, the Philadelphia Eagles are back to playing football again. The last time the Eagles took the field was in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, in one of the most dominant victories in franchise history.
The preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals to kick off the 2025 season certainly didn’t have the stakes as the Super Bowl, but there was actual football against an opponent being played. There were some storylines heading into this one, like the Bengals playing their first-team offense in the preseason (which typically doesn’t happen under Joe Burrow due to injury) and the Eagles’ cornerback battle between Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson taking center stage.
For the first preseason game, there was some excitement being back in Lincoln Financial Field. This was a nice change of pace form the 10 training camp practices.
These were the main takeaways from the Eagles’ 34-27 victory, a game that didn’t matter in the standings yet had some telltale signs with this team going forward.
Tanner McKee entered the season as the QB2 behind Jalen Hurts, and came in high regards from the Eagles quarterback and coaching staff. Seeing McKee shine against NFL defenses isn’t surprising given how he performed in a Week 18 start last year against the Giants, but the Eagles’ second-string signal caller torched the Bengals’ first-team defense.
McKee went 5 of 6 for 73 yards and a rushing touchdown (via the Tush Push) in the two series against the Bengals’ first-team defense. He then went 9 of 11 for 120 yards with two touchdown passes to close the half, with the last one being a beautiful 21-yard pass to Darius Cooper on a fade.
Brilliant in the first half, McKee finished 14 of 17 for 193 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions, 11.4 yards per attempt, and a 153.2 rating. He scored three total touchdowns as the Eagles scored on four of five first-half possessions.
If the Eagles need McKee to win them a football game this year, he can certainly perform up to the task. He’s a top-32 quarterback in this league and should be a starting quarterback for someone in due time.
Ringo is in a competition for the CB2 job opposite of Quinyon Mitchell. He didn’t make a good first impression against Ja’Marr Chase, most notably whiffing on a tackle on a 36-yard touchdown catch by the superstar wideout.
The Bengals played their first-team offense on the first two possessions, as Joe Burrow picked on Ringo throughout the night. Ringo was beaten by Chase on multiple attempts, showcasing the liability Ringo presented in coverage.
Chase is a mismatch for most cornerbacks, but Ringo needed to put up a better showing than what he did against Chase. Adoree’ Jackson — in competition with Ringo for the CB2 job — didn’t perform much better either.
The Eagles acquired Jakorian Bennett after nine training camp practices for a reason. This wasn’t a good night for Ringo.
Bengals first-team offense gets work
In case anyone was tuning in and was shocked to see Joe Burrow in the game, there was a reason to be. Burrow only played 16 total snaps in the preseason since being drafted in 2020 — and head coach Zac Taylor made the decision to give his quarterback some valuable reps in August.
Since drafting Burrow, the Bengals have gone 1-9 during the first two weeks of the season. There was a reason why Taylor is trying something different in hopes of getting his team off to a fast start, so the first-team offense played in the preseason opener.
Burrow blistered the Eagles’ second-team defense in his two series, going 9 of 10 for 123 yards and two touchdowns (157.5 rating). Ja’Marr Chase had his way against Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson, finishing with four catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. Both were out after Burrow connected with Chase on a 36-yard touchdown to cap the second series.
If Burrow and Chase looked as in they were in midseason form, it’s because they were. Didn’t matter what players the Eagles had in the game.
Will Shipley makes strong statement for RB2
The Eagles have Saquon Barkley as their RB1, and he’ll be getting the overwhelming majority of touches this season. What about the running back who will spell Barkley?
That role belonged to Kenneth Gainwell last year, but he departed in free agency. The battle for the RB2 spot is between Shipley and AJ Dillon, as both have been getting equal reps with the second team through training camp.
Shipley got the start in the preseason opener, and had an impressive 38-yard run the Eagles’ third offensive play, which was set up by an impressive block from Tyler Steen. He finished with seven carries for 48 yards in his short stint, averaging 6.9 yards per carry, while also having a four-yard reception.
Shipley took a large step in winning the RB2 job. In fact, he may already have it.
Big nights for young receivers
The Eagles have one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Add Jahan Dotson into the mix and it’s arguably the best trio. What about the rest of the group?
Johnny Wilson is a favorite to earn a roster spot in his second season because of his blocking ability and doing the dirty work that doesn’t show up in the box score. Wilson had an opportunity to show off his catching ability in the preseason opener, having three receptions for 73 yards — averaging 24.3 yards per catch.
Another young wideout fighting for a roster spot is Darius Cooper, who has turned heads in camp. An undrafted free agent out of Tarleton State, Cooper was a frequent target of McKee once Dotson was out of the game. He had six catches for 82 yards on seven targets, an average of 13.7 yards per catch.
Cooper is certainly in the running for a roster spot.
Josh Uche shows off inside move
Josh Uche had an 11.5-sack season three years ago, but has struggled to find his footing since. A cerebral player with a move that confuses tackles, Uche used it to get a pressure on Bengals quarterback Jake Browning in the second quarter.
On this defensive series, Uche also had a quarterback hit by catching Browning when he rolled outside to his right — but the play was nullified by a defensive penalty.
Uche had a strong showing in camp and has been the front runner for the No. 3 edge rusher job behind starters Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. The preseason opener was a good sign Uche can contribute to this defense in third-down pass rushing situations.
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